Car Finance in the UK – Advice on Checking Vehicle History

When it comes to purchases, a car is right up there, outflanked only by property, children and Faberge eggs. With such a big purchase, you should take your time and do your research; give yourself the best possible chance of making a good decision. There are several steps you can take to check out the history of a vehicle, to see if you’re really getting the deal you’re being sold.

Buying a second-hand car can be risky, and many people end up with vehicles which have had their mileage clock turned back, or are hiding serious damages which have been patched up shoddily. People are even sold stolen cars. Before you ask yourself whether you think the price is appropriate for the car you view, you should also make some enquiries about whether you think the information presented is truly accurate.

Customised number plates, complete with hideous typography, are all the rage these days, so it’s quite possible that someone could switch a number plate. It could be an honest change to adopt a vain, customised number plate with part of their name or business in it, BAZ DL2 for example. It could also be a way of masking the true history of the vehicle, for a number of reasons. You can access information about plate change history by contacting the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in theUKand Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland (DVLNI) inIreland.

It’s easy to see why people turn the clocks back on their cars when they sell them; it can have a big impact upon the price a buyer is willing to pay, but it is also a criminal offence. It’s not fair and consumers shouldn’t have to put up with it, but unfortunately once the deal is done it can be difficult to rectify the situation in financial terms.

If you think you know a car dealer who has been deceiving consumers by turning the mileage clock back, you should report them to your local Trading Standards office to ensure they don’t fleece a more naïve customer.

When a car is involved in a major accident and is damaged beyond repair, then it is declared a total loss or write-off. The DVLA can do a check on a vehicle to see if it has been declared a write-off by insurers, or have been reported to be scrapped. It’s important to note that just because a car is declared a total loss, does not necessarily mean that it cannot be repaired to a safe standard, but it’s well worth checking out the history of a car before you buy.

It is not advisable to purchase a car or other vehicle if it has been used as security on a loan or has other outstanding car finance issues. It could mean that you don’t own it, and could be forced to give it up or pay the debt. Luckily financial companies register their interest in vehicles that are the subject of finance agreements. You can check information about the financial history of a car, find out if there is any remaining car finance to be paid on it, which company owns the debt and the dates relating to finance agreements.

Hundreds of thousands of cars and other vehicles are recorded stolen in theUKevery year. If you buy a stolen car you could end up having to hand it over to the police, so you might consider consulting the Police National Computer, which can tell if a vehicle has been registered stolen, before you buy a suspicious vehicle.

Remember that a car or vehicle is usually a sizeable purchase, so it’s well worth doing ample research to ensure that the vehicle you buy is as it appears.